This invention relates to irrigation sprinklers and, more specifically, to a sprinkler that incorporates a nozzle magazine configured to selectively rotate different size nozzles into place or, alternatively, rotate a blank surface over the flow path to shut the sprinkler off.
Most sprinklers used in the agricultural industry are fitted with a nozzle having a specified orifice size (or diameter). It is often desirable to change the nozzle flow rate based on particular crops, localized terrain characteristics, and so on. This typically requires removal of one nozzle and replacement by another. This is a time-consuming process, however, involving many individual sprinkler heads mounted, for example, on one or more large irrigator truss spans. The changeover process may also involve shutting off the water supply. On the other hand, leaving the water supply on and providing individual on/off valves for each sprinkler is both expensive and impractical. While multi-nozzle magazines have been developed, they have not been completely satisfactory.
At the same time there are instances where desired sprinkling patterns may dictate that certain sprinklers along a truss span or other sprinkler support be periodically shut off.
It would therefore be desirable to have a simple multiple-nozzle magazine attached to each sprinkler that in the changeover process, automatically shuts off the water supply and automatically restores the supply upon locating the new nozzle in its operational position, or that enables the sprinkler to be shut off and turned back on in a simple reliable manner.